APPLETON, Wis. -- The Lawrence University men's basketball team pulled away late Wednesday to notch a 71-66 Midwest Conference victory over Knox College at Alexander Gymnasium.
    Lawrence went on a key 9-0 run to take the lead and then held off the Prairie Fire over the final four minutes.
    Hogan Demovsky led Lawrence's balanced attack with 16 points and added five rebounds and a pair of steals. Nicholas Gouriotis had a double-double for the Vikings (6-15, 4-8 MWC) with 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds to go with three assists. 
    Nathan Valentine had 13 points, three assists and two rebounds for Lawrence, and Nolan Koch and Casey Schoenecker picked up nine points apiece. 
    Sean Gallery led Knox (4-16, 1-10) with 15 points. 
    The game was tied at 50-50 when Cameron Nash's putback of his own miss started a run of nine consecutive points for the Vikings. Demovsky followed with a jumper in the lane, and Caleb Nash scored off a turnover to put the Vikings up 56-50. Koch then converted a pair of free throws, and Schoenecker added another foul shot for a 59-50 edge with 4:26 left.
    Lawrence went 23-for-31 from the foul line in the game.
    The Vikings built their biggest lead at 64-54 after a free throw by Manu Redah, who provided a defensive spark for Lawrence, with 2:16 remaining. Knox trimmed the lead back to 66-61 with less than a minute left, but the Prairie Fire were forced to foul.
    Demovsky hit a pair of free throws with 38 seconds remaining for a 68-61 lead. Demovsky then stole the ball from Gallery and was fouled again. He drained two more free throws, and the Vikings led 70-61 with 28 ticks left. 
    Cole Andrews countered with a layup for Knox, but Caleb Nash hit one free throw for the Vikings with seven seconds remaining to seal the victory.
    Lawrence, which has won two of its last three and swept the season series from Knox, returns to action on Saturday when the Vikings travel to Illinois College.